Mbabane — The Kingdom of Eswatini has entered a new chapter in its fight against HIV after signing a five year Bilateral Memorandum of Understanding with the United States Government. The agreement, concluded this week in Mbabane, formalises a shift in leadership that places Eswatini fully at the helm of its national HIV response.
The accord follows nearly two decades of close cooperation between the two countries. Since 2005, the US government has invested close to US$1 billion into Eswatini’s health sector, supporting the country’s push to curb new infections, expand treatment access and strengthen public health systems.
Minister of Health Mduduzi Matsebula described the signing as a defining step in a partnership that has helped transform Eswatini’s health outcomes. He noted that the collaboration made it possible for the country to reach the UNAIDS 95 95 95 targets ahead of most nations, becoming the first in Africa to achieve the milestone.
National data shows that more than 215 000 people are currently on antiretroviral treatment, with mother to child transmission recording sharp declines as more HIV free births are reported each year. New infections have dropped from about 12 000 annually in 2011 to roughly 4 000 in 2021, reflecting a reduction of 75 percent.
Matsebula said Eswatini is also one of the first countries to roll out lenacapavir, a long acting preventive option that is expected to play a crucial role for adolescent girls and young women who continue to face elevated risk.
The new five year agreement confirms Eswatini’s readiness to sustain progress made over the last twenty years while directing the response with greater autonomy. It also extends cooperation to other priority health areas.
Authorities said the systems strengthened through this partnership, which proved essential during the COVID 19 pandemic, will now support efforts to address non communicable diseases and increase the country’s capacity to detect and contain outbreaks in line with its pursuit of universal health coverage.
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